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' O. A. LEES & S. W. LESTER.

SEED SHELLER.

No 444,838. Patented'Jan. 20, 18911.

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CHARLES A. LEES, OF CHRISTCHURCH, AND STEPHEN \V. LESTER, OF SYDENIIAM,ASSIGNORS TO THE CANTERBURY (N. Z) SEED COMPANY, LIMITEIL-OICHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.

SEED-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,838, dated January20, 1891. Application filed June 6, 1890. Serial No. 354,525. No model.)Patented in New Zealand January 9, 1889, and June 11, 1889.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES ARTHUR LEES, of Christchurch, and STEPHEN\VIL- LIAM LESTER, of Sydenham, Canterbury, New Zealand, have madecertain new and useful Improvements in Seed-Shellers, (for which patentswere granted to us in New Zeal-and January 9, 1889, and June ll, 1889;)and we do hereby declare the following specification to be a full andclear description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making a part of this application.

This invention is a machine for the purpose of rubbing the husks offYorkshire fog and trefoil seeds, in which a revolving brush or rubber ofsuitable material of conical shape operates in conjunction with acone-shaped casing having concave projections on the inside, sothattheseseeds may subsequently by known processes be separated from othergrass-seeds, a result which cannot be as well attained by means of suchknown processes alone.

This machine is also an improved machine for the purpose of rubbing thehusks off clover-seeds, so that subsequently by known processes ofseparating or sifting the cloverseeds treated by this invention aremademarketable.

The invention consists in novel constructions and combination of parts,as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure I isa vertical cross section of the apparatus,showing the connection with parts of the driving-gear. Fig. II is anelevation of the same. Fig. III is a detail of the oitwell bearing. Fig.IV is a detail of the brush. Fig. V is a detail of the collar whichconnects spindle with clutch. Fig. TI is a detailoi' thebcaring 0. Fig.VII is an enlarged drawing of the point of the punch, by which concaveproject-ions maybe made in the conical metallic casing.

Similar letters refer to similar throughout the drawings.

A is a cone-shaped brush or rubber, which is used with the smaller enddown. The brush A is secured to a vertical spindle B, supported at itslower end by a collar L, resting in an parts oil-well K, attached asfound convenient to a beam or other solid place, and also held inposition in its upper end by a bearing 0, attached as found convenientto a beam or other solid place.

The con e-shaped brush A, in a machine used for shelling Yorkshire fog,trefoil,and clover seeds, when mixed with other grass-seeds, hasbristles, preferably one and one-fourth inch long, of monkey-brass, orbrass or any other brush material of a similar stiff nature, but in amachine used for shelling clover and trefoil seeds alone has bristlespreferably one inch long, of wire, cane, or other brush material of asimilar stiff nature.

The brush A is made to revolve in a coneshaped metallic casing C, (thesmall end d0wn,) having concave projections, preferably one-eighth inchsquare, on its inside, made by driving a punch of peculiar shape,hereinafter described, through the casing from the outside or by pins ofthe same size and description attached to the same, preferably fourhundred of such punchings or pins to the square foot of surface. Theends of the bristles of the brush A should almost touch the ends of theprojections or pins on the casing C, which projections orpins are placedvertically to the casing in a series of diamonds, as shown at C, Figs. Iand II.

The metallic cone-shaped casingC has a close-fitting cap M and anopening D for feeding the machine, but is open at the bottom P.

E is'a flanged collar at the upperend of the spindle B, fitted with aworking'collar R and clutch I which is coupled to an eccentric or crankQ, giving, preferably, three-eighth inchvertical stroke. Fitted onto thehorizontal shaft G is a graduated pulley H is a pulley attached to thespindle I Fig. VII shows the point of the punch hereinbe'fore referredto in two views.

Mode of working: Belts from the motive power are passed over the pulleyH and over the graduated pulley N, the brushA being driven round by thebelts, preferably at a speed of two hundred revolutions per minute. Theseeds beingfed in at the openingD make their way down between the brushand the outside easing O and there are rubbed by the l brush against theconcaveprojections or pins l on the casing, which rubbing shells thehusks off the seeds. By means of the belt over the cone-pulley N theshaft G is caused to revolve, and by the clutch and crank abovedescribed the brush A is raised and lowered while revolving. By thisvertical movement the seeds are turned over at right angles to thedirection in which the brush is movin", and are more thoroughly rubbedand made to fall more readily downward and out through the opening P,when they are subsequently cleaned by known processes. The speed of thisvertical movement, preferably thirty-five revolutions per minute, may beraised by means of the graduated pulley N, as desired, and should it befound that the seeds are being rubbed too much the speed may beincreased, thereby allowing the seeds to get out more readily at theopening P.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a seedsheller, of a conical casing and conicalbrush therein, the

spindle B, having the collar E, the clutch F,

having the collar R, and the shaft G, having a crank Q connected Withsaid clutch, whereby the brush is subjected to a circular and a verticalniovem ent, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a seed-sheller, of a conical casing havingpunched projections therein, as described, and a closed top, a conicalbrush therein, its spindle and pulley thereon to rotate it, with aclutch connected to said spindle, and a crank-shaft connected to saidclutch, substantially as described.

CHAS. A. LEES. STEPHEN XV. LESTER.

Witnesses:

W. M. DAVIS, Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zea- Ztmd,Olwistdmrch, New Zealcmch F. WILDING, Note r1 Public, Christchurch, NewZ caland.

